Nonsinkable boat



Aug. 31, 1937. H. c. BERRY 4 NONS INKABLE BOAT Filed Sept. 4, 1934 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. g 2 /va/vy C Berry a a I A TTORNEY Aug. 31,1937. H. c. BERRY NONSINKABLE son Filed Sept. 4, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2IN VEN TOR. Harry C. Berry (MAW QZTTORNEY Patented Aug. 31, 1937 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

mum of water friction;

Third, to provide a boat of this class in which all the decks and cargospace are positioned above the water line;

Fourth, to provide a boat of this class in'which the propeller mechanismis positioned between two buoyant streamline floats thereby providing amaximum capacity for propelling mechanism;

Fifth, to provide a boat of this class in which there are mountedpropellers at both bow and stern of the beat and may be provided withadditional propellers intermediate the ends if desired;

Sixth, to provide a boat of this class in which the propellers andpropeller shaft are readily accessible for repair or change;

Seventh, to provide a boat of this class in which the shaft and drivingmechanism that is submerged is enclosed in a casing;

Eighth, to provide a boat of this class in which the joints are doublysealed by a rubber cement 30 supported by metallic tanks under pressure,and

Ninth, to provide a boat of this class which is verysimple andeconomical of construction, durable, efficient in its action, easy tooperate, buoyable and non-sinkable.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, myinvention consists of certain novel features of construction,combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafterdescribed in detail and particularly 40 set forth in the appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to thecharacters of reference thereon which form a part of this application,in which:

Figure l is a top or plan view of my boat show- 45 ing some of the partsand portions broken away to facilitate the illustration; Fig. 2 is asectional view through 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing some of the parts andportions in elevation to facilitate the illustration; Fig. 3 is a frontelevational view of 50 my boat; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevationalview intermediate the ends showing a portion of the outer surface brokenaway; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scalethrough 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary 55 sectional View on anenlarged scale showing the joint filled with rubber cement of one sideof the main float runner section shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a sectionalview through 'I'I' of Fig. 2, and Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional viewof the propeller shaft and casing through 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portionsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

The float runners I and 2, metal tanks 3, rub ber cement 4, upper deck5, lower deck 6, rudders I, shaft 8, shaft supports 9, propellers Illand I I, propeller guards I2, sprocket and chain casing I3, sprockets I4and I5, chain I6, and power plant I'I, constitute the principal partsand portions of my non-sinkable boat.

The float runners I and 2 are streamlined at both bow and stem to reduceto a minimum the friction when passing through the water. They arepreferably composed of planks about twelve inches wide and of'suitablethickness and may be covered with steel plate on the outer surface andtheir sides are secured together by a plurality of cross partitions Iaand 2a, as shown best in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Mounted in theserunners I and 2 and filling the space between the partitions aremetallic tanks 3 which are adapted to fill the space between the sidesof each of these members I and 2 and between the partitions Ia and 2a.These tanks 3 are provided on their outer surface with a rubber cement 4and are sufiiciently yieldable that when air pressure on the interior ofthe tanks 3 is provided the cement 4 is forced out through the cracksbetween the planks forming the side walls of the members I and 2 andfilling the joints and also filling the space between the tanks and itsenclosing walls, thus providing means for making the joints tightthroughout the whole of the submerged portion of the boat. Pressure isprovided for the tanks by means of valves 30!. which are used for theentrance of compressed air into the interior of the tanks 3. Thus itwill be noted that the tanks are supported on all sides by means ofplanking secured to the cross partitions and these supports form thefloat runners I and 2.

The partitions Ia and 2a extend upwardly above the upper sides of saidrunners l and 2 and these runners I and 2 are positioned in considerablyspaced relation to each other and parallel to each other, as shown bestin Figs. 1 and '7 of the drawings, and are supported in this relation bymeans of cross members 5a secured to these partitions and extending fromone runner to the other, as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Thesemembers are provided with a plurality of cross braces 51), thus rigidlysupporting the members I and 2 in their parallel spaced relation to eachother.

At the upper side of the members I and 2 is provided a lower deck 6which covers the full space including the width of the members I and 2and at the upper side of the members 501. is provided the upper deck 5which covers the whole upper surface.

It will be here noted that any kind of housing may be supported overthis upper deck 5 as desired for the different uses or purposes to whichthe boat may be put.

It will be here noted that the lower deck 6 extends upwardly on an angleat Get at the bow of the boat to conduct the Water under the lower deck6 in a series of high waves or the like.

The boat is propelled through the water by means of propellers l0 and I!mounted between the float runners l and 2, preferably two of thesepropellers, one near the bow and the other near the stern. They aresupported by means of a shaft casing 8a, shown best in Fig. 8 of thedrawings, which shaft casing is supported by means of the supports 9which are provided with bearings Set for supporting the ends of theshaft casing 8a. Mounted inside of the shaft casing 8a is a journal 8bfor supporting the shaft, it being noted that there is a plurality ofthese supports 9 and each of them is bifurcated upwardly some distanceabove the shaft and above the normal water line and the ends extend inthrough the lower deck 6 and are secured to the partitions la and 2abetween the decks 5 and 6, as shown best in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

It will be here noted that other propellers may be mounted on the shaft8 intermediate the propellers Ill and II if desired for increasing thepropulsion power of the boat.

Secured to the casing 8a is a sprocket and chain casing I3 which isshaped as shown best in Figs. 2 and '7 of the drawings and adapted toenclose the lower portion of the sprocket and chain for operating theshaft. Mounted on the shaft 8 in said casing I3 is a sprocket l4.Mounted on this sprocket I4 is a chain I6 which extends up through thedecks 5 and 6 and is mounted on a sprocket I5 in connection with thepower plant H.

The supports 9 are supported relatively to each other by braces 91).Mounted in front of the propeller II are propeller guards l2 one at eachside of the propeller and extending from the upper deck 5 downwardly onan angle and then backwardly and secured to the lower portion of thefront support 9, as shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings. These are forthe purpose of providing a guard against floating objects striking thepropeller.

Mounted on the rear of the boat between the float runners I and 2 and onopposite sides of the rear propeller ID are tandem rudders which are forthe purpose of guiding the boat and are positioned on opposite sides ofthe propeller in close relation thereto to provide for efliciency inpropelling the boat.

It will be here noted that cargo may be placed between the decks 5 and 6or in some cases some cargo may be placed in the tanks 3. However, it ishighly desirable that sufflcient bulkhead space be provided to float thecraft and cargo regardless of its position and to float it if one or twoof the tanks are damaged so that they leak and fill with water orpartially fill with water.

It will also be noted that additional tanks may be secured between themembers I and 2 if desired to provide additional buoyancy in case ofheavy loading. It will be noted that tanks may be placed in the spacebetween the decks 5 and 6, if desired, in case of heavy loading.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combinationand arrangement s of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited tothis particular construction, combination and arrangement but desire toinclude in the scope of my invention the construction, combination andarrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a non-sinkable boat, a pair of streamlined float runners inparallel spaced relation to each other, spaced decks bridging said floatrunners and holding them in their spaced relation to each other, saiddecks connected at their sides and ends forming a hollow, closed buoyanthold, said float runners being hollow and each provided with a pluralityof transverse partitions, and tanks filling the hollow spaces in saidfloat runners, said tanks covered with rubber cement adapted to fill thejoints and leaks in said float runners around said tanks.

In a non-sinkable boat, a pair of streamlined float runners in parallelspaced relation to each other, spaced decks bridging said float runnersand holding them in their spaced relation to each other, said decksconnected at their sides and ends forming a hollow, closed buoyant hold,said float runners being hollow and each provided with a plurality oftransverse partitions, tanks filling the hollow spaces in said floatrunners, said tanks covered with rubber cement adapted to fill thejoints and leaks in said float runners around said tanks, and means forproviding air under pressure in said tanks.

3. In a non-sinkable boat, a plurality of metal tanks, a rubber cementcovering for the exterior of said tanks, means encasing said tanks, andmeans for admitting air under pressure to the interior of said tankswhereby the joints of said casing are filled by said rubber cement bythe pressure in said metallic tanks.

HARRY C. BERRY.

